TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting a campaign aimed at providing women greater understanding of football.
What the NFL team didn’t anticipate was a backlash from critics on social media who feel the initiative called RED insults fan base the club is attempting to reach.
A news release announcing the campaign proclaimed RED is a “bold, new movement” that will change the way women “connect with their home team and own their individual football experience.”
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The team plans a party next month at Raymond James Stadium, where women will participate in an “Insider’s Talk” with Bucs general manager Jason Licht, as well as receive tips on “creative culinary creations” and other subjects such as game-day fashion, tailgating, and sharing the fan experience on social media platforms.
“RED is a groundbreaking women’s movement designed to recognize and celebrate our female fan base,” Glazer Family Foundation co-president Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said in the release. “Through exclusive offerings and experiences, our female fans will have the opportunity to not only add to their knowledge of the game they love, but also to help create a community through RED and own the way they enjoy football.”
Thursday’s announcement was met with immediate criticism on social media.
The Buccaneers declined to comment on the backlash and plan to move ahead with the campaign.
